Progress

Happy first day of SPRING!  This is my happiest day of the year, no lie.  The thought of flowers and grass and gardens and warmth just fills me with delight.  Be gone dreadful winter!  Aren't you loving it too?

So here's an update on all those things I have been working on.  I finally finished the wallpaper. There are a few more details that we are working on so I'll just give you a teaser photo.  I wish you could see the beautiful celadon green, (I think it was called livable green from Sherwin Williams) that I painted the wallpaper with.  I absolutely love it. The color changes with the light. I tried taking photos in bright sunshine and on a cloudy day but to no avail. I just can't get a true color in the photo.  Hopefully I'll be able to get a good photo for the reveal of this tiny space.  It truly is the smallest entry ever. Just room enough to swing the door open and then either turn right and up a few steps to the kitchen or straight into the basement, but it was a bear to wallpaper! Dangling over the steps on that ladder made me feel like a real daredevil. 

 Secondly, the quilt I have been making for my sweet son in law came back from the quilter and I was able to bind it and it will soon be on it's way for his birthday :)  My quilter is Kathy at Stitch by Stitch and I always love her work. She makes my amateur quilts look like a million bucks!  At least to me ;)  It's big enough for him to wrap up in, (queen size for my 6' 3" ish SIL!) and is extra snuggly with a blue checked flannel backing.  I can't wait for him to open it!

 The antique mahogany server is installed under the new tv.  See my amazingly artful attempt at hiding cords?  Ah well, it's a plaster wall and the husband doesn't want to drill into it.  I'm ok with that.  Getting rid of the giant bookshelves and entertainment cabinet really opened this room up!  It looks so much bigger and brighter now.  I'm loving it all. 

It's good to have those all finished, now I have another list to work on, but not today.  Today I take it easy and wimp out because I have a bad cold.  I always feel guilty if I'm not working on something, so illness gives me an excuse to veg and be a baby about things.  I was able to whip up a batch of brownies to nosh on, because medicinal chocolate don't you know,  and now I'm headed for a Netflix binge and lots of fluids.   Hope you are enjoying your first day of Spring wherever you are!

My One Weakness

Disclaimer, This post title is inaccurate. Obviously my first and foremost weakness is my sweet husband.  Love that guy to the moon and back. Ditto my girls.  No, what I am talking about is a material weakness.  If you know me at all, you know I'm frugal to a fault. My usual attitude when I am shopping is that I don't need to actually own something to enjoy it.  I like to look. I like to enjoy the item and go home without a thought to where I will need to make room to store it. I am actually in the process of a MAJOR decluttering which includes biting the bullet and getting rid of some things I really have enjoyed over the years but that need to move on. 

I'm not a shoe fiend, I can pass on lots of decorative frippery, but my weakness, my Achilles heel if you will, is dishes. Crockery. Plates and mugs first and foremost but I like alllll the crockery.
Now in keeping with my incredibly frugal nature, I have built my collection at yard sales, and thrift shops for the most part. My daughter, Victoria gave me a set of beautiful Johnson Brothers blue and white transfer ware for Christmas that I am now using for my every day dishes as a change from the plain white I have been using for several years. She knows me so well :) 

Today I was in Homegoods, (and I know you know where this is going), and I spotted these...

And immediately I'm all.They're called Devon Cottage from Johnson Brothers, one of my favorite makers.

So I texted Victoria and asked, didn't she thing these would go great with the plates she got me for Christmas?  She agreed they would and she liked them so much she wanted some too.  Well.  CLEARLY I was supposed to buy these plates so I could hand them down some day right?  I had 6 in the cart, she asked how many they had and I said 8 ,(I was wrong they only had 7), and she pointed out that I would regret leaving those plates behind.  I knew she was right, so I got the last plate and told her if she found one at the store near her she could get it for me for mother's day.  Oh my dear little enabler.
So now it only remains that I have to explain to Earl that I bought more dishes. Good thing I'm HIS only weakness :)  Besides, I can always show him this photo.  I saw this grill in Homegoods,

My first thought was, good heavens, who would buy that? But the yellow tag hanging from it's ear actually say SOLD.   It wasn't me. I was just buying these dishes. You're welcome honey!

Happy March!  Spring is only 19 days away :)